Five years ago a Dallas nonprofit had a vision to build affordable housing in Frisco.

The result is North Court Villas, which completed construction in August and leased all 134 low-income apartments within a month. More than 500 people are on a waiting list.

The development drew a lot of opposition during its approval process in 2010. That’s because it’s the first of its kind to involve an incentive from the Inclusive Communities Project, a nonprofit that promotes fair housing. As part of the deal, some of the low-income apartments had to be made available first to certain Dallas Housing Authority clients with Section 8 vouchers.

Some in Frisco were concerned at the time that if the project along Stonebrook Parkway was approved, crime would increase, surrounding properties would lose value and Frisco wouldn’t benefit from the deal. None of that happened.

Austin-based developer Cherno Njie said during the complex’s grand opening Friday that the project wasn’t easy.

“It’s been a very difficult process, it has been a very daunting process, but at the end of the day what makes it all worthwhile is to see this beautiful project that is completed and the positive actions we’re having on the lives of the residents,” said Njie, president of Songhai Development Co.

Betsy Julian, president of Inclusive Communities Project, said she hopes that Frisco becomes a model for other communities.

Under the agreement, the nonprofit gave $2 million to Frisco, which in turn lent it to the developer at a low interest rate. In return, 50 units had to be offered first to Dallas Housing Authority clients who are part of the Walker settlement, which stemmed from a 1985 lawsuit over black residents being forced to live for decades in segregated slums in Dallas.

Songhai Development also had to get approval through the state’s competitive Housing Tax Credit program. That program provides federal tax incentives so that rents can be offered at below market rates.

North Court Villas didn’t make the state’s first cut when it applied in 2010. But the board for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs decided two months later to tap into its pool of tax credits from future years to fund North Court Villas and several other projects around the state.

The units at North Court Villas are available to residents who earn up to 60 percent of the area median income. For a family of four, income cannot exceed $40,500. The cost for a one-bedroom, one-bath apartment ranges from $330 to $725. A two-bedroom, two-bath rents for $395 to $868. And a three-bedroom, two-bath rents for $456 to $1,003.

For Barbara Oram, North Court Villas has become home. She moved to Frisco 29 years ago when Preston Road was only two lanes and the city had just one grocery store. She’s been on her own since her husband died six years ago. But in August, after breaking her back for a second time, the 68-year-old was forced to retire as a hairstylist. Her fixed income limited her housing options.

“I prayed to God to lead me in the right direction, and this is where he led me,” said Oram, who has fallen in love with the place.

Drevelyn Matilda Minor said living at North Court Villas offers hope for her future. She lost nearly everything she owned when the economy and her health both took a turn for the worse in recent years. She had to sell her Dallas business, Lady Nia’s Wig Boutique, and her Kessler Park home. And she found herself on food stamps.

“I lost so much,” said Minor, 68.

Her health improved, and she now works as a cashier at a Frisco grocery store. She says her new home suits her. This weekend, she will teach a class at North Court Villas’ clubhouse about table manners and table settings using a curriculum on life skills that she developed through her nonprofit.

“I’m blossoming again,” Minor said. “I’m making it back.”

Ann Lott, the executive director of the Inclusive Communities Housing Development Corp., said the quality of North Court Villas helps to change the stereotypes that come with affordable housing. Everyone wants access to good jobs and excellent schools, she said. People want to live in communities that are safe, she said.

“Where you live in this country matters,” she said. “It matters to your quality of life. It matters to your sense of well-being. It matters to your health and your mortality rate.”

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